1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to an information element component of a signaling message and a method for connection control using such information element and, more specifically, to such an information element and method wherein an operator is able to introduce new services and/or service features into a network without such services and features needing to already have been provided in advance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In today's communication networks, such as the telephone network, many (connection-related) services or service features can be introduced only by virtue of a complex change of software in the exchanges (APS change). In many cases, the reason for this is, among other things, that services and service features require alteration of the signaling between the exchanges (interoffice signaling). This change includes extending existing information elements and introducing new information elements or even new messages. However, since the association between an information element of a signaling message and one or more services or service features is stipulated via the APS, the cited change cannot be made without a change of APS.
A previous solution for introducing new service features into a network (without changing the APS in the VST) is to use the IN (Intelligent Network) architecture. For many service features, however, an IN solution is not possible or is too expensive.
The present invention is, therefore, directed toward permitting an operator to be able to introduce new services and/or service features into the network without them needing to have already been provided in advance in the APS by the manufacturer of the exchanges.